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Sri Lanka Under 14 teams compete in ITF Asia Development tournament

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The Under 14 Girls’ and Boys’ Teams (from left) Pradeep Gunasekara (General Secretary SLTA), Githmi Fernando, Gehansa Methnadi, Dinusha Wijesuriya (Coach), Methika Wikramasinghe, Pasindu Rukunayake and Iqbal Bin Issack (President SLTA). (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Sri Lanka Under 14 boys’ and girls’ teams are taking part in the ITF Asia Development Under 14 tournament in Bhubaneswar, India.

The tournament which commenced on April 10 will conclude on April 14.

Hosts India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Syria, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei are the other countries taking part.

 



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Dialog marks 21 years of unwavering commitment as the Battle of the Blues enters its 147th chapter

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The Title sponsorship cheque was presented by Navin Pieris – Group Chief Officer, Dialog Enterprise, Dialog Axiata PLC and Harsha Samaranayake – Vice President, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata PLC and formally received by Asanka Perera (Warden, S. Thomas’ College) and Athula Wijewardana (Principal, Royal College), marking the 21st Year partnership for the upcoming Royal-Thomian encounter with Dialog Axiata PLC. (From left) Kieran Lawrence – Head Prefect, S. Thomas’ College, Avinash Fernando – Captain, S. Thomas’ College, Sajith Kularatne – Co-Chairman, Royal Thomian Match Organizing Committee, Harsha Samaranayake – Vice President, Group Marketing, Dialog Axiata PLC, Asanka Perera – Warden, S. Thomas’ College, Athula Wijewardana – Principal, Royal College, Navin Pieris – Group Chief Officer, Dialog Enterprise, Dialog Axiata PLC, Ramesh Abeywickrama – Co-Chairman, Royal Thomian Joint Match Organizing Committee (RC), Rehan Peiris – Captain, Royal College and Sahan Agalawatte – Head Prefect Royal College.

S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia will once again take on their arch-rivals Royal College, Colombo in the 147th Battle of the Blues, scheduled to be held on 12th, 13th and 14th March 2026 at the country’s premier Test cricket venue, the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), Colombo.

‎Etched with rich traditions, passion and unparalleled history, this legendary encounter stands as the second-longest uninterrupted school cricket series in the world — a testament to the unwavering camaraderie and sporting spirit between two of Colombo’s leading educational institutions. The Battle of the Blues is not just a cricket match, but an institution in itself — a story of competition and brotherhood that has endured for nearly 150 years, contributing immensely to the game of cricket, the heartbeat of the island.

‎Adding to the grandeur, the much-anticipated Mustangs Trophy one-day encounter will take center stage on 28 March 2026 under lights at the newly floodlit SSC ground.

‎Royalists and Thomians, both past and present, clad in their iconic blue, gold and black, will once again gather to celebrate their schools’ proud heritage. The pavilion will roar, flags will wave, and songs of tradition will echo across the SSC as schoolboys, old boys, and cricket enthusiasts from around the world unite in the true spirit of the game.

‎This prestigious encounter—widely regarded as Sri Lanka’s very own “Big Match”—has witnessed some of the finest young cricketers take center stage before rising to national and international acclaim.

‎As part of the Dialog Big Match Season, this historic clash continues to embody tradition, passion, and sporting excellence, bringing together generations in celebration of one of the nation’s most cherished sporting rivalries.

‎Dialog Axiata PLC Sri Lankas #1 Connectivity Provider & a Prolific promoter of sports in Sri Lanka, a steadfast patron of Sri Lankan school cricket. With an enduring commitment to Powering young talent and fostering the next generation of cricketing greats, the company’s partnership ensures that the legacy of the Battle of the Blues remains stronger than ever. Their continued support is not merely a sponsorship, but an investment in Sri Lanka’s sporting future.

‎ ‎”It is that time of the year when the schools come to a standstill and all eyes are directed to the middle of the field watching eagerly and anxiously,11 men in white play for the covetous Senanayake Trophy. As the 147th episode of the 2nd longest intercollegiate encounter enfolds, we wish the two teams all the very best as they become part of this unbroken tradition.

‎ May this encounter be the everlasting tradition that connects S. Thomas’ College and Royal College.

‎ I place on record my thanks and the thanks of the College and the Joint Organizing committee to all our sponsors for coming on board this year” stated the Warden of S. Thomas’ College, Asanka Perera.

‎”As we prepare to witness yet another Roy–Tho, we celebrate 147 years of unbroken continuity—an achievement sustained through challenges and change. In recent years, the event has evolved, embracing digitization, standardization, sustainability, and CSR, with Dialog proudly serving as main sponsor on 21 occasions alongside many others. This is more than a match—it is a tradition that shapes personalities and carries forward a timeless legacy,” stated Cochairman, Ramesh Abeywickrama.

‎”At the doorstep of the greatest sporting event of the year, we celebrate a world heritage carried forward by 22 boys and countless stakeholders for 146 unbroken years. As Royalists and Thomians, we take pride in this enduring tradition. We wish both teams and all who uphold this legacy an enjoyable and memorable match.” – Mr. Athula Wijewardena Principal Royal College Colombo 7.

‎‎Commenting on the occasion, Navin Peiris, Group Chief Officer – Dialog Enterprise, said: “At Dialog, we are incredibly proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the Battle of the Blues, one of the most iconic events in Sri Lanka’s school cricketing calendar. Our commitment to supporting school cricket stems from our belief in nurturing young talent and fostering a passion for the game that lasts a lifetime. Through initiatives like the Battle of the Blues, we aim to contribute to the development of the next generation of cricketers while preserving the rich traditions of Sri Lankan school cricket. As we power this historic rivalry once again, we remain dedicated to powering the champions of tomorrow.”

‎‎Tickets for the 147th Battle of the Blues and the 49th Mustangs Trophy will be available for purchase at the Royal College Union and the STCML OBA Secretariat. Given the massive following and the electrifying atmosphere that this legendary encounter promises, early booking is highly recommended to secure a seat at Sri Lanka’s grandest school cricketing festival. Join us in celebrating the spirit of cricket, tradition and sportsmanship at the 147th Battle of the Blues and the Mustangs Trophy match.

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Ganuka, Yuhansa reach semis

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Yuhansa Peiris / Ganuka Fernando (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Ganuka Fernando and Yuhansa Peiris continued their forward march in the ongoing J30 ITF Junior week 4 tournament as they won the quarter final matches in the boys’ and girls’ singles categories on Wednesday.

‎In the boys’ singles quarter finals Ganuka beat Thirumurugan Viswanathan of India 7-6, 6-0.

‎Yuhansa beat Daria Lokotkova of Ukraine 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

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Dube’s death-overs batting fuels India’s fourth win on the bounce

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Shivam Dube was the chief catalyst who propelled India to a match-winning total [Cricbuzz]
For some time on Wednesday evening in the biggest cricket ground in the world, Netherlands dared to dream of causing the biggest upset of the World Cup. They had India on the ropes until Shivam Dube began to dispatch balls in his arc, and outside of it, to the boundary en route to a 30-ball 66 that led India to 193/6.

That score was initially beyond India’s imagination against Netherlands’ multiple sleights of hand – slower ones, cutters and knuckle balls, that tied down an otherwise explosive batting order. It worked for long, until Dube took advantage of some of the predictability that came with change of pace, and the skewed square boundary dimensions (60m and 68m).

India’s innings didn’t take off until the 12th over, and even then it looked like a flash in a pan. Life leading up to that point was a constant struggle for India’s top-order as Netherlands’ bowlers nailed their lengths while bowling to their fields. Abhishek Sharma fell for a third successive duck and Ishan Kishan suffered a slice of misfortune – both bowled by off-spinner Aryan Dutt who bowled three exceptional PowerPlay overs for just 17 runs.

Netherlands’ medium-pacers then frustrated Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav for long stretches of play. The middle-overs were a toil against slower ones bowled into the pitch outside the off-stump. A stunning blinder-of-a-catch from Roelof van der Merwe then broke this partnership that was going nowhere as Tilak trudged back for a 27-ball 31. Suryakumar was looking for an outlet to flip the complexion of his and India’s innings like he did against USA, but that didn’t quite come.

On the last ball of the 12th over, Suryakumar ended a 19-ball boundary drought by hitting a six over his favourite fine leg region, and Dube then got in on the act against Colin Ackermann in the 13th over after a scratchy start. He took the medium pacer for two sixes and a four in the over, but Kyle Klein hit back in the 14th. He had Suryakumar caught at long leg for a 28-ball 34, bringing Hardik Pandya to the middle just before the death overs.

Even he, however, couldn’t middle as well as he would’ve liked. But Dube batted like he was playing in a different postcode. He rose from 6 off 11 and raced to a 25-ball half-century. Netherlands’ bowlers offered him a buffet of bad balls at the death – full tosses and slot hit-me deliveries that he gleefully sent to the stands over mid-wicket and long-on.

He went after Logan van Beek in the 20-run 17th over, hit Klein for a four in the 18th and got another six against van Beek in the 20th before being caught on the fine leg boundary by substitute fielder Timm van der Gugten for a 31-ball 66 in the same over. Hardik whose timing was topsy-turvy, managed to connect on three sixes for his 21-ball 30. India added 75 off the last five overs to push the game beyond Netherlands’ reach.

Netherlands opener Max O’Dowd did just about enough to avoid giving his wicket to Jasprit Bumrah in the PowerPlay, but was undone by Varun CV, who cleaned him up in the sixth over. Hardik then struck to remove Michael Levitt as Netherlands’ chase meandered in the middle. Colin Ackermann tonked a couple of sixes to add a spark to the chase, but Varun sent him and Dutt packing off successive deliveries. Dube, who went for a few runs, broke through next, dismissing Bas de Leede for a 23-ball 33.

At the start of the death overs, Netherlands lost Scott Edwards to Bumrah, but threw their bats around to narrow India’s victory margin. Noah Croes and Zach Lion-Cachet took 11 runs off Washington Sundar, 12 off Arshdeep Singh and 18 off Hardik before Dube broke the stand in the final over. In the end, Netherlands fell short by only 17 runs.

Brief Scores:
India 193/6 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 18, Tilak Varma 31, Suryakumar Yadav 34, Shivam Dube 66; Hardik Pandya 30; Aryan Dutt 2-19, Logan van Beek 3-56, Kyle Klein 1-38) beat Netherlands 176/7 in 20 overs (Michael Levitt 24, Max O’Dowd 20, Bas de Leed 33, Collin Ackerman 23, Scott Edwards 15, Zach Lion-Cachet 26, Noah Croes 25*; Jasprit Bumrah 1-17, Varun Chakravarthy  3-14, Hardik Pandya 1-40, Shivan Dube 2-35) by 17 runs

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